How Houston’s Missing Media Gene Hobbles Its Global City Ambitions

[HoustonIsHome]

You've got to be joking. My comment was that SF has a natural advantage in tourism because it has a very unique setting that most people find extremely beautiful. Saying that's not a factor is about the same as denying that Miami draws a lot of its tourism from its natural surroundings (oh wait, you said that too).

I didn't say it was the only factor, I said it was an advantage. By the way, I hear that Hawaii's tourist numbers are good because of "what they have done", not the stupid beaches and volcanos.

I'm not saying that surroundings don't help. What in saying is that you guys are acting like without it tourism can't blossom and I have examples of how some of the top spots for tourism are not in picturesque spots.

What does your logical fallacy have to do with my point? Because you named two tourist spots that were in nice settings, my four examples of other destinations not in nice spots are suddenly invalidated.

Please. The top travel destinations in the world are set on flat as a pancake nondescript land.

These destinations were created. If memory serves me right Paris is tops in the world and that city was planned the hell out of.

[HoustonIsHome]

Double post

Edited April 29, 2014 by HoustonIsHome

[arche_757]

I'm not saying that surroundings don't help. What in saying is that you guys are acting like without it tourism can't blossom and I have examples of how some of the top spots for tourism are not in picturesque spots.

What does your logical fallacy have to do with my point? Because you named two tourist spots that were in nice settings, my four examples of other destinations not in nice spots are suddenly invalidated.

Please. The top travel destinations in the world are set on flat as a pancake nondescript land.

These destinations were created. If memory serves me right Paris is tops in the world and that city was planned the hell out of.

 

You are right - Houston can create a reason for tourists to visit.

 

The article though is purely comparing Houston and San Francisco.

 

I've long thought Galveston Bay needs to be developed better.  Yes, there are people who don't want to pay the insurance costs and live by the coast - but its by far the most interesting climate/topography type in the greater Houston area.

 

And I tend to agree with some others, once Downtown has more hotels there will be a bigger demand for conventions and that will in turn draw tourists (of a sort) who will make others here see the potential in profiting off of tourists.  Not a shabby trade off.

 

Side note: if gambling ever passes in Texas and Galveston is allowed casinos (which it will be) I would truly expect the island to boom into something like a modern day Atlantic City (though I would expect it to do better economically).

 

[IronTiger]

These destinations were created. If memory serves me right Paris is tops in the world and that city was planned the hell out of.

Modern Paris originates out of the Haussmann renovation which tore down medieval-era slums (extremely overcrowded, rampant diseases and crime) for wide, modern boulevards and the now-iconic Parisian buildings surrounding them, much like how planned freeways changed American cities and similarly took out areas, many of which were slums.

I've long thought Galveston Bay needs to be developed better. Yes, there are people who don't want to pay the insurance costs and live by the coast - but its by far the most interesting climate/topography type in the greater Houston area.

It's a shame that Galveston has pretty lousy beaches, which is a result of the tides of the Gulf of Mexico washing everything back up to Galveston instead of taking it out to sea. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, due to these tides, the atrocious crimes of Royce Zeigler and Kimberly Trenor would have been lost.

[arche_757]

Speaking of the Bay, not the Island.  Galveston Bay is mostly underused by the average Houstonian.

[FilioScotia]

deleted

Edited April 29, 2014 by FilioScotia

[Luminare]

well this was an interesting read before bed lol. I think of Houston as that really good indie film that nobody knows about, but through word of mouth it quickly becomes the film to watch.

 

Yes we might be a tad backwards, with way to much sprawl, and a list of problems, and a few leaders/residents that are stuck in the childish not going to do nothing ways, but the more I have spent time in and around Houston the more and more potential I see.

 

Also about that image thing. I remember when I was with some people in Germany and I was talking about where I was from. It wasn't the sprawl, smog, or Big Oil they thought of. The first words that came out of there mouth was "Houston we have a problem!" lol. Though the quote, not necessarily a great one, really made me think of Houston in a different way. For many people outside the US we are a city of can-do people, Space/NASA, and the future. It was like this with anyone I said where I was from.

 

We are also a very honest city. We don't really hide very much, and have no problem showing what we really care about....which is making lots and lots of money $$$.

 

While we can certainly make it a better and more beautiful place (which is most certainly happening now), lets not forget that Houston is an animal all in it's own and very different than any other city in our great state and country.

 

It will definitely be a roller-coaster ahead, but overall the city is going in the right direction...even if we are a tad impatient with it at times

 

*gets off soap box* 

[AnTonY]

Old thread, I know. But the article is highly spot on when it comes to the perception issues that Houston has. And this "missing media" gene plays a huge role in Houston's supposed lack of iconic landmarks: is it that the city truly is lacking in structures that could offer such integrity, or is it just a matter of the lack of exposure that ensured people never saw these landmarks?

 

And by exposure, it goes well beyond media coverage of various forms (i.e. poems, songs, TV series, books, etc) to include connection with the urban fabric (to allow people to easily explore it). I'd imagine that many visitors to Houston don't even know that the San Jacinto monument exists, simply by virtue of how unconnected the site is with the city.

Edited March 10, 2018 by AnTonY

[AnTonY]

On 4/26/2014 at 6:21 AM, livincinco said:

I wasn't trying to imply that Houston was ugly and I don't think it is. It was to point out that SF has a huge advantage based on its natural setting. The natural environment of Houston does not provide it any advantage related to tourism, it is similar to any number of other Midwestern cities. However, SF has one of the most unique locations/settings in the world. There is nothing that city planning could have done or can do to change that.

 

On 4/27/2014 at 8:38 PM, livincinco said:

 

You've got to be joking.  My comment was that SF has a natural advantage in tourism because it has a very unique setting that most people find extremely beautiful.  Saying that's not a factor is about the same as denying that Miami draws a lot of its tourism from its natural surroundings (oh wait, you said that too).

 

I didn't say it was the only factor, I said it was an advantage.  By the way, I hear that Hawaii's tourist numbers are good because of "what they have done", not the stupid beaches and volcanos.

 

But those posters were correct in that city actions play a huge role in how the landscape factors as an attraction. Just imagine if SF focused itself away from all the interesting scenery, and, instead, built wide suburban sprawl, chopping down all trees in sight along the way? Or imagine if Chicago and Miami built themselves well inland from their respective waterfronts? Without such connections and cohesions, the landscape wouldn't be able to radiate into the city vibe as strongly, and the resulting tourist appeal would be less dynamic.

 

Houston's land may be flat like the Midwest, but that's where the similarities end. The Midwest does not have Houston's loblolly pines, live oaks, southern magnolias, etc. They cannot grow azaleas, camellias, bougainvillea, palms, etc that flourish in Houston. SF certainly has an attractive and world class location that aided tremendously in its tourist appeal. But I have zero doubt that Houston's landscape too can be advantageous to tourism. It just has to show and not tell.

Edited March 10, 2018 by AnTonY

[ChannelTwoNews]

There's a profile of HoustonFirst President & CEO Michel Heckman in this week's Houston Business Journal and I thought it was in step with much of the content of this thread. A fair amount of the piece discusses the progress that has been made in improving perceptions, but also reviews the work ahead as well as what's being done.

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2023/03/31/michael-heckman-houston-get-noticed.html

 

[bookey23]

Thank you for posting this, because it made me find this old thread. I've been living in Houston for 7 years now and I've been trying to get more involved with Houston's entertainment industry as part of my job and I've come to find that it really just doesn't exist. There's a few media companies here and there and there are obviously film groups and theater societies, but I don't think I'm far off in saying that Houston does not have an entertainment industry.

 

I have no idea why Houston isn't doing the same thing as Atlanta and all of Georgia and giving huge tax breaks to come film in our city. I feel like having shows film in Houston would give it more national recognition and give people an idea of Houston besides urban sprawl, traffic, and space. It seems like the only filmmakers who were ever interested in Houston are Richard Linklater and Wes Anderson (and the latter only for Rushmore). It speaks volumes that I've heard multiple people talk about the fact that Robocop 2 was shot in Houston, despite the fact that the movie is supposed to be in Detroit. Houston needs to get out in the public eye more.

 

All of the sporting events are a good start, but they don't give viewers an actual flavor of the city outside of 5 second bumpers before and after commercial breaks. Our food scene has actually put us on the map more than anything else recently and got us an episode of Ugly Delicious and a season of Top Chef, but even that season spent the last 2 episodes in Tucson for no reason. Again, these are good starts, but we need to do more!

[steve1363]

On 3/31/2023 at 3:25 PM, ChannelTwoNews said:

There's a profile of HoustonFirst President & CEO Michel Heckman in this week's Houston Business Journal and I thought it was in step with much of the content of this thread. A fair amount of the piece discusses the progress that has been made in improving perceptions, but also reviews the work ahead as well as what's being done.

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2023/03/31/michael-heckman-houston-get-noticed.html

 

I don’t think the article presented any new ideas…basically the city is looking for a new catch-phrase.

Personally I think the city should play up all the new park space (Discovery Green, BBP, Memorial Park, etc.) and continue to beautify the city.

As much as people complain about the weather isn’t “outdoor activities” the best selling point for Houston.  If you are a gardener then Houston is paradise.  I’ve been sitting outside on my patio for the last two hours!  What a life!

[mattyt36]

On 3/31/2023 at 3:54 PM, bookey23 said:

I have no idea why Houston isn't doing the same thing as Atlanta and all of Georgia and giving huge tax breaks to come film in our city.

I don't disagree in principle with the above, but (1) how much of the Atlanta thing is the state versus the city (the State of Texas will give us absolutely zero help); and (2) I've seen plenty of movies made in Atlanta (they're a dime a dozen), and a lot of the mass market ones don't even mention/really engage with the place, which to me is awful policy--but I guess that's the point.  Anodyne, anywhere America.

It is no mystery to me why people would not want to film a movie here for simple reason of weather, but New Orleans has its share of movies filmed there (of course New Orleans is pretty unique).

Mo I think did a fine job at capturing Houston, as did the Anthony Bourdain episode on Houston and even Top Chef.  Houston is very unique, just not particularly "sexy."  

I think we need a high-profile tourist attraction, and it needs to be downtown for convention goers to have easy access.  I think the Museum of Texas History would've been great, but that fell through.  So I think the best bets are some sort of "NASA Light" exhibit downtown with regular buses to JSC, or some sort of National Museum of Immigration that is affiliated with the Smithsonian to raise its profile.  An energy museum would also be appropriate--I'm just not sure how many people it would attract.

[bookey23]

I saw some city planner say that the first thing he would do if he was in charge of Houston is plant 1 million live oaks. We really do have some outdoor areas, but the city just doesn't focus on them enough. 

[X.R.]

13 minutes ago, bookey23 said:

I saw some city planner say that the first thing he would do if he was in charge of Houston is plant 1 million live oaks. We really do have some outdoor areas, but the city just doesn't focus on them enough. 

Its funny because you can see the city/county/local districts are slowly doing this. Emphasis on the word slow. There are young, newly planted trees in the bayou parks, and in braes bayou along some part of the trail. You see some parts of Montrose are getting additional trees, along with that reworking of Shepard drive, and a beautification project in third ward around the universities. They need way more, but it seems like the first thing the local stakeholder reach for nowadays when starting a project is "trees" and thats an improvement from where we were.

[bookey23]

On 4/2/2023 at 11:46 AM, mattyt36 said:

I think we need a high-profile tourist attraction, and it needs to be downtown for convention goers to have easy access.  I think the Museum of Texas History would've been great, but that fell through.  So I think the best bets are some sort of "NASA Light" exhibit downtown with regular buses to JSC, or some sort of National Museum of Immigration that is affiliated with the Smithsonian to raise its profile.  An energy museum would also be appropriate--I'm just not sure how many people it would attract.

I think a world class museum near downtown would be really interesting and it doesn't even have to relate to the city of Houston. New Orleans has a world class WW2 museum and Seattle has a very cool Museum of Pop Culture, both of which have become big tourist spots but neither of which actually have to do with that city. A space museum would be an obvious choice, but regardless of the topic it would just have to be a very well-done museum to get people to see it as a tourist destination

Edited April 3 by bookey23

[steve1363]

On 4/2/2023 at 11:46 AM, mattyt36 said:

I think we need a high-profile tourist attraction, and it needs to be downtown for convention goers to have easy access.  I think the Museum of Texas History would've been great, but that fell through.  So I think the best bets are some sort of "NASA Light" exhibit downtown with regular buses to JSC, or some sort of National Museum of Immigration that is affiliated with the Smithsonian to raise its profile.  An energy museum would also be appropriate--I'm just not sure how many people it would attract.

These are great ideas!  At one point a naval history museum was proposed?  That might be good (could we capitalize on the battleship Texas?), but I love your other ideas too!

[mkultra25]

On 4/2/2023 at 10:58 AM, steve1363 said:

I don’t think the article presented any new ideas…basically the city is looking for a new catch-phrase.

[steve1363]

3 hours ago, mkultra25 said:

Nice!!  Extra points for incorporating San Jacinto Monument!

[ChannelTwoNews]

16 hours ago, mkultra25 said:

I was impressed you could STILL find anything with that logo around as recently as the 2000s. I remember buying a cap with it when the visitor's center was at City Hall around 2003 or 2004. 

[editor]

On 4/3/2023 at 8:16 PM, steve1363 said:

Nice!!  Extra points for incorporating San Jacinto Monument!

Should be points off for including a monument that's not actually in the City of Houston.  It's in LaPorte.

As an aside, lots of cities engage in this sort of tomfoolery.

The seal of the city of Las Vegas includes:

• Skyscrapers, of a design, height, and density which do not exist within 300 miles of Las Vegas.
• Boulder Dam, which is in Boulder City, not Las Vegas.
• Red cliffs, which I presume are supposed to represent either Red Rock Canyon or Valley of fire, both of which are outside of the city.
• The Colorado River, which is a dozen miles away from Las Vegas.
• A Joshua tree, which is not native to the Las Vegas Valley.

[__nevii]

The problem with these articles (and many of the discussions that emanate from them across the various threads) is that they always devolve into hierachial presups, and other contrivances related to the religious reification of cities as if they were sentient entities. Must be why there's often the typical laudry list of unsupported circularity (begging the question, affirming the consequent, etc), fact-value gaps (is/ought-naturalistic, just-world errors, often backed by ad populum), etc.

The end product? People always making these non-cognitive, (Dunning-Krugered)confident assertions of "what Houston is" (as if some fixed, unchanging entity) as well as "what the world thinks of Houston" (which is impossible to be certain of).

That said, I will say that the vast majority of problems of this sort are solved simply by greater urbanization of the city: abolishment of minimim parking, setbacks, etc that allow the true potential of "no zoning" to be unleashed. The urban environment will take the city's already existing food, culture, arts, iconic scenes, etc and elevate them into the palpaple entities sought after by the "creative-class" types that tend to create these articles/pass these judgements of Houston.

_{On another note, it's interesting to see how "cool and hip" tech, media, associated venture capital. etc were even as recent as 2014, contrasted with the more cynical "late stage capitalism" outlooks recently regarding ALL corporations (regardless of "boring O&G" or "flashy tech/media"). It really does seem} 

Edited May 14 by __nevii

[__nevii]

On 4/2/2023 at 10:58 AM, steve1363 said:

As much as people complain about the weather isn’t “outdoor activities” the best selling point for Houston.  If you are a gardener then Houston is paradise.  I’ve been sitting outside on my patio for the last two hours!  What a life!

I agree with this, especially as it comprises part of what I meant in my above comment regarding "question-begging." Basically, a lot of the "problems" for Houston are "taken for granted/as a given" without any attempt to support the arguments. Then, the (often sound) dissent is always shouted down as "delusional," "not-well-travelled," or other such attempts at affirming-the-consequent condescention.

For instance, as you allude to, biodiversity is known to be maximized with both warmth and wetness, which the coastal South (including Houston) has in spades compared to much of the land north (colder in winter), or west (largely more arid). There is great agricultural, cultivational, horticultural, silvicultural, etc oppurtunities to be enjoyed, especially in accordance to the subtropical Deep South aesthetic (palmettos, evergreen oaks and magnolias, thick spanish moss, etc). All of that provides solid counterpoints regarding why the "consensus" (unscientific) of Houston's "inferior outdoor oppurtunities, aesthetics, etc" can't be taken for given.

 

[editor]

On 5/14/2023 at 12:56 AM, __nevii said:

silvicultural

I learned a new word today.